Valve actuating mechanism for internal combustion engines



Jan. 12, 1932. p GERARD 1,840,314

VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 22, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12, 1932. P, ERARD 1,840,314

VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 22, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pa uZ Gerard 2 I I 1 r Patented Jan. 12,1932

PAUL GERARD, LAUREL, MONTANA .VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed October 22, 1929. Serial No. 401,459.

'lhis'invention relates to improvements in actuating mechanism for valves of internal combustion engines and has for its primary ob ect to provide a mechanism whereby smoother opening and closing of-a valve may be effected than in present systems and whereby also adjustment of the mechanism may be .;easily made to increase or decrease the amount of movement of the valve in association with which it is employed. I

object of the invention is to pro- Another vide a mechanism for actuatingvalves of internal combustion engines which is of simple construction and so designed I that adjustments may be made thereto while the engine is operating to obtain the best results through the actuation of the valves.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent as the description of thesame proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with 'the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure so'from' the salient features of. theinvention as expressed in the appended claims. In the drawings T Figure lis a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of one'of the valve operating units embodying the present invention.

v Figure 2 is a view in top plan of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view takenupon the 4 line 3'3 of Figure 1. I

Figure 4 is a plan view of the valve stem engaging lever with the cap removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference indi- 15 cate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates generally the head of an internalcombustion engine showing the application thereto of the valveactuating mechanism embodying the present invention. V

The present mechanism is designed for the operation of the overhead type of valve and as shown is supported by a series of arbors 2 which are mounted upon and formed'integral with the engine head, there being one of these I! arbors for each of the valves to be operated by the mechanism. Each of the arbors 2 comprises a base portion 3 and a forwardly curved arm 4 through which is formed a downwardly extending threaded opening 5 00 designed to receive an adjusting screw 6 which is maintained in the desired position by a lock nut 7 engaging thereabout and bearing upon the top of the arm 4.

Directly in alignment with each arbor '2 6 transversely of the engine there extends upwardly through the engine head a valve stem 8 which is normally urged upwardly in the usual manner by a coiled spring 9 surrounding it and bearing against a transversely 7 extending pin 10 passing therethrough.

The inner face of each of the arbors 2 is formed in the base portion thereof to provide a bearing cradle 11 and seated in this cradle is the bearing or hinge knuckle 12 which forms an integral part of the actuating lever for the adjacent valve, indicated generally by the numeral 13.

Each of the actuating levers 13 comprises an elongated flat body from one end of which 30 the knuckle 12 extends, the body tapering toward the other end to form the finger 14 which, when the knuckle is in a bearing cradle 11, overlies theadjacent valve stem 8 in the manner shown. This finger has a threaded passage formed therethrough for the reception of the adjusting screw 15 which, when the mechanism is actuated, engages the upper end of the valve stem to actuate the same.

.A suitable locking nut 16 is used in association with the adjusting screw 15 to maintain the same in set position.

Intermediate its ends each of the actuation levers has formed in the upper edge the semicircular recess 17, the face of which is formed or cut away to provide the track groove 18 in the lower portion of which is formed a cam lug 19 each of the faces of which gradually slope off as indicated at 20 to merge with the periods and further these adjustments may be made during the running of the engine so that the immediate effects resulting from actuating mechanism may be so adjusted that the particular valve which it is set to control may be completely thrown out of operation if such procedure is found necessary. Due to the fact that the height of the cam lug 19 is :less'than the distance between the roller and the bottom of the groove 26 of the cap when the roller is in position therein this rffr throwing out of operation of a valve is accomplished by raising the screw 15 and shifting downwardly thescrew 6 so as to force the arm 13 down to the point where the roller will pass freely over the lug 19. From this it will also be apparent that adjustment can be made of the mechanism whereby the roller may be made to strike the lug 19 low down or near itstip in order to govern the down ward swing of the arm and consequent operation of the valve stem 8.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is i l. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a lever, means for pivotally mounting the same adjacent a valve, means for effectingoperative engagement between the lever and said valve, resilient means normally urging said lever away from the valve, a shaft extending transverselyv of the lever, a cam carried by the shaft, a collar carried by the lever and surrounding said shaft and the cam, and a cam follower forming a part of said collar and adapted to be engaged by said cam.

2. A valve actuatin mechanism comprising a lever, means for pivotally mounting the same adjacent a valve, means for effecting operative engagement between the lever and said valve, resilient means normally urging said lever away from the valve, a shaft extending tranversely of the lever, a cam carried by the shaft, a collar carried by the lever nd surrounding said shaft and the cam, a

cam follower forming a part of said collar and adapted to be engaged by said follower, and means for vertically adjusting said collar and lever for controlling the stroke of the lever.

3. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a lever pivotally mounted at one end and having its other end arranged for contact with a valve stem, said lever having a recess formed therein and further having a groove formed along the inner face of the recess, a cam follower formed in said groove, a cam shaft extending transversely of the lever and passing through said recess, a cam carried by the shaft adapted to work in said groove,

and resilient means normally urging said lever upwardly.

4. A valve actuation mechanism comprisinqa lever pivotally mounted at one end and having its other end arranged for contact shaft extending transversely of the lever and 1 passing through said recess, a cam carried by the shaft adapted to work in said groove, resilient means normally urging said lever upwardly, a cap covering said recess and grooved to receive said cam, and adjusting means engaging said cap for shifting the same and the lever in opposition to said resilient means.

5. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a support designed to form a part of an engine head and including an arm, a lever svingingly connected with said support and having one end arranged for engagement with a valve stem, said lever having a semicircular recess formed therein and further having the wall of said recess provided with a groove, a cam lug formed in said groove at the lowermost point thereof, a cap adapted to be secured over said recess and having a grooved recess formed therein coinciding with the groove in the lover, a cam shaft eX- tending through the opening formed by said coinciding recesses, a cam roller carried by the shaft and working in said grooves for engagement with said lug, and meanscarried by said arm for vertically adjusting the arm.

6. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a support designed to form a part of an engine head and including an arm, a lever swingingly connected with said support and having one end arranged for engagement with a valve stem, said lever having a semicircular recess formed therein and further having the wall of said recess provided with a groove, a cam lug formed in said groove at the lowermost point thereof, a cap adapted to be secured over said recess and having a grooved recess formed therein coinciding with the groove in the lever, a cam shaft extending through the opening formed by said coinciding recesses, a cam roller carried by the shaft and working in said grooves for engagement with said lug, means carried by said arm for vertically adjusting the arm, and means carried by the arm for regulating the period of movement thereof before actuation of the adjacent valve is effected.

7. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a support designed to form a part of an engine head and including an arm, a lever swingingly connected with said support and having one end arranged for engagement with a valve stem, said lever having a semi circular recess formed therein and further having thewall of said recess provided with a groove a cam lug'formed in said groove at "the lowermost point thereof, acap adapted tobe secured over said recess and having a grooved: recess formed therein coinciding with the groove inithe lever, a cam shaft extending through the opening formed by said coinciding recesses, a cam roller carried by the shaft and working in said grooves for engagement with said lug, means carriedb'y 831C]. arm for vertically ad usting the arm, and a spring member arranged beneath the lever and-normally urging the same upwardly against theaction of said adjusting means.

8. In a valve actuating mechanism for internal combustion engines, including a valve having a stem projecting-upwardly of the engine body, anelongated member pivotally mounted at one end and having its other end arranged for engagement with said valve 5-3 stemto actuatethe same, resilient means normally urgingsaid member to swingupwardly, means] for limiting the upward movement of the member, said member being formed. to provide a substantially elliptical &3 recess, a shaft extending transversely through said recess, said recess having a grooveform'ed aboutthe inner face thereof, aeam roller carried by the shaft and adapted to position in said groove, and acam body we formed'upon the lower wall of the groove in thelower part of therecess for contact with said roller; V

9. In a: valve actuating mechanism for internal combustion engines, including a valve g having'astem: projecting upwardly of the engine body, air elongated member pivotally 'inounted at one end andhavin'g its other end arranged for engagement with said valve stem to actuate the'sa me, resilient means normally urging said member to-swing upwardly, means for limiting the upward movement of the: member, said member being formed to provide a: substantially elliptical recess, a shaft extending transversely through said qilrecessv said recess having a groove formed about the inner face thereof, a cam rollercar-- ried by the shaft and adapt-ed to position in said groove, a. cam body formed upon the lower wall of the groove in the lower part of the recess for contact with said roller, and

means for introducing oil into the groove to provide an oil cushion therein for said roller. 10. In: a valve actuating mechanism for internal combustion engines, including a valve gis having a stem projecting upwardly of the engine body, an elongated member pivotally mounted at one end and having its other end arranged: forengagement with said valve stem to actuate the same, resilient means norc o anally urging said member to swing upwardly, means for limiting the upward movement of the member, said member being formed to provide a: substantially elliptical recess, a shaft extending transversely throughs'aid reflllcess, said recess having a groove formed about charge of-oil thereinto and into said groove.

l1. A. valve actuatin mechanism, comprising a pivotally mounted lever, means for effecting a working engagement between the lever and a valve body, acam carried'by-said lever,acam roller arranged to engage said cam, and resilient means normally urging.-

said lever tov'move in opposition to the movement imparted thereto bythe roller.

12.v A valve actuatlng mechamsm, comprising alever arm pivotally mounted at one end adjacent a valve body, adjustable'means carried by said arm at its other end for engaging said valve body, a cam formed upon said arm, a cam roller arranged to rotate above said arm and to contact with said cam for depressingthe arm, and resilientmeans normally urging said arm to move upwardly.

18. A Valve actuating mechanism, comprising a lever arm pivotally mounted at one end adjacent a EZlVQ body, adjustable means carried by said: arm at its other end for engaging said valve body, a camformed upon said arm, a cam roller arranged to rotate above said arm and'to contact with said cam' for depressing the arm, resilient means normally urging. said arm to. move upwardly, anarm extending above said first mentioned arm, and means carried by the last mentioned arm for engaging and holding the first mentioned arm in a: predetermined position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

. PAUL GERARD. 

